Lock tumbler container



y 1967 c. A. BRITTELL 3,330,404

LOCK TUMBLER CONTAINER Filed Aug. 16, 1965 F/ 5 INVENTOR CZAPf/Vff ,4. B/F/TTELL f6 ATTORNEY United States Patent F 3,330,404 LOCK TUMBLER CONTAINER Clarence A. Brittell, Ashby, Mass., assiguor to Independent Lock Company, Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation of Diassachusetts Filed Aug. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 479,931 9 Claims. (Cl. 206-16) This invention relates to a lock tumbler selector device, and more particularly to a selector container for use by locksmiths to facilitate the storing and selection of driver and follower pins of the type normally used as tumblers in conventional pin tumbler locks.

A pin tumbler lock conventionally includes a cylinder having an axial bore, in which bore there is rotatably mounted a lock plug having an axially extending keyway. A plurality of tumbler bores extend radially from the cylinder into the plug in the plane of the keyway. Each bore normally is charged at the factory with two or more pins which are spring pressed radially toward the keyway. Additionally, the lock as supplied by the factory includes a key cut so as to lift the lowermost or driver pin in each tumbler bore to the shear line defined by the outer periphery of the plug, so that with the driver pins thus aligned, it is possible to rotate the plug. In the absence of a proper key, follower pins are located both in the cylinder and the plug and thus prevent rotation of the plug.

In many instances, it is necessary or desirable to change the combination of a lock. For instance, when a house is sold, it is desirable to prevent the former occupant or the builder from utilizing keys which may have been retained. In such cases, combination changes are effected by removing the lock cylinder from the latch operating mechanism and substituting for the initially supplied tumbler pins, and particularly the driver pins, a new set of pins of different lengths. Under such circumstances, a new key must be supplied since the old key will no longer be effective.

In order for a locksmith to be in a position to service and change combinations of locks manufactured by a Wide variety of manufacturers, it is necessary for the locksmith to maintain a tremendous variety of tumbler pins. This is true since there is no standardized pin dimension accepted by all lock manufacturers. Thus, the pin lengths of pins utilized by a first lock manufacturer may vary from each other in steps of a first predetermined increment; the pins of a second manufacturer may vary from each other by a different increment, etc. Additionally, the longest pin length of a first manufacturer may vary from the longest pin length of a second manufacturer, and so forth.

A further problem which inheres in maintaining and selecting the combination change pins is that the pins, although they may be diiierent in size, vary from each other by such small amounts as to be substantially indistinguishable in appearance. A particular problem of locksmiths, therefore, is to make certain that under no circumstances will a pin of one length accidentally become admixed or fall into a container of pins of a different length, since the use of an improper pin will likely pass unnoticed until after it has been incorporated into a lock.

To guard against inadvertent mixing of pins, extreme care is taken in covering and separating pin containers in handling a loose pin or pins. These necessary precautions 3,336,464 Patented July 11, 1967 have made the operation of changing a lock combination unduly tedious.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a novel pin tumbler container device which will greatly facilitate selection of any pin desired. A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel container of lock tumbler pins which will readily permit the extraction of a pin of any desired length without the danger of accidentally intermixing pins in the event that a selected pin is accidentally dropped, these objects being carried out without the necessity for opening and closing the pin container each time a pin is extracted therefrom.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a pin tumbler container or kit of compact size wherein the locksmith is enabled immediately to identify those pins which fit the lock of a particular manufacturer.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lock container device in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a magnified section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a magnified section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a pin being extracted from one of the pin containers;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing the result of dropping a pin against one of the individual pin packets.

Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein 10 is an open topped container to which there is hingedly connected a'covering lid 11, shown in FIGURE 1 in the fully opened position. The lid may incorporate any known latch means to keep it in the shut position. The container includes regularly spaced, longitudinally extending walls 12, and intersecting, regularly spaced laterally extending walls 13 which divide the container into a plurality of open topped cells 14.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, preferably the uppermost edges of the walls 12, 13 terminate in a plane slightly below the plane defined by the uppermost marginal edge of the perimeter of the container.

In'accordance with the invention, all or most of the cells 14 are charged with individual packets 15 containing the individual pin tumblers 16. The packets will be charged into the cells in a predetermined position, as more fully explained hereinafter. Each of the packets comprises side walls 17, a bottom 18, and a specially formed top 19. The top 19 of the container is fabricated of transparent, resilient plastic material, preferably of the acetate type. The top, which may include a marginal bead 20 cemented to the side walls 17 of the packet, includes additionally a covering portion 21 which extends over the mass of pins within the container. The pins are, of course, charged into the packet before the top 19 is applied.

The covering portion 21 is formed with a pair of intersecting slit 22, 23 which together form a substantially X-shaped mouth portion 24. The mouth portion is, in actuality, defined by flaps a, b, c, dsee FIGURE 3. While an X-shaped mouth is shown in the illustrated embodiment, it will be readily understood that various other configurations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, the top portion 21 and particularly the flaps, are directed or inclined downwardly toward the bottom 18 of the packet.

The packets are charged into the cells of the container in a predetermined order. In order to facilitate both the loading of the packets into the container and the location of a particular desired packet, and further to act as an initial safeguard against intermixing of the pins, there is preferably provided a series of templates, one of which has been illustrated at 30. The templates are so dimensioned as to interfit precisely over the top of the container, resting upon the top of the walls 12, 13 with the margin of the template confined within the uppermost edges of the side walls of the container 10. Optionally but preferably, the template is provided with a locator notch 31 which interfits a complementally formed locator stud 32 formed within the container, thereby to assure that the template is applied to the container in a predetermined position.

As will be understood from the ensuing description, there are provided a series of templates, one of each series of pin tumblers to be embodied in the kit. The templates 30 are of value for initially loading the packets into the cells, replenishing an exhausted packet, and extracting a desired pin.

The templates 39 are provided with spaced apertures (in the illustrated embodiment numbered 1 to 9), which apertures each coincide with one or more of the cells of the container when the template is properly positioned.

The template may be marked on its face with the name of a given manufacturer. The packets containing pins of lengths corresponding to those of such manufacturer may be loaded into the cells through the apertures in the template, with the #1 pins loaded through the aperture labeled #1, etc.

Assuming now that the container has been completely charged with packets of pins in predetermined position,

' in accordance with the various templates supplied, the

selection of pins for any given manufacturer becomes a simple procedure. The locksmith merely opens the hinged lid 11 and places the appropriate template over the open cells in the predetermined position dictated by the interfitting connection provided by notch 31 and locator stud 32. The locksmith next, with a pair of tweezers, reaches through the apertures defined in the template, pressing the tweezers against the normally closed mouth portion 24 defined by the intersecting slots, the tips of the tweezers entering intothe interior of the packet, as shown in FIGURE 4. Since the top 21 is preferably transparent, no difficulty in locating or gripping a pin is encountered.

It will be noted that the flaps flex readily downwardly under the pressure of the tweezer tips and, after gripping of a desired pin, the tweezers may be readily withdrawn through the mouth portion, whereupon the flaps a, b, c, d which define the mouth, immediately snap back to their closed or juxtaposed position.

It is an important feature of the invention that the mouth defining flaps, immediately after withdrawal of the tweezers, are shut and will not admit a pin which may be inadvertently dropped and caught on the top of the container. This condition is illustrated in FIGURE 5, from which it will be readily perceived that a dropped pin will be caught on the upper surface of the top 21 and cannot fall through and become admixed with the ,remaining pins.

. as best shown in FIGURE 3, to provide clearance spaces 4 A between the seal and the packet, to facilitate removal of the packet.

The container of the present invention permits pins of r a variety of sizes to be stored in ordered, readily available array. The pins of a given manufacturer may be immediately selected through the use of the novel template devices. The templates serve the double function of locating the desired pins and also forming a cover for all other pin series, to reduce the chances of inadvertently intermixing the pins, Further, the packet tops provide a secondary safeguard to prevent a dropped pin from entering a packet, without interfering with the ability of a locksmith rapidly to remove a desired pin.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new. and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A lock tumbler selector device comprising 'a container divided into regularly spaced, open topped cells, a plurality of packets containing lock tumblers of different lengths, each of said packets being disposed in one of said cells, said packets including bottom and side walls and a transparent top, said top having intersecting slits defining independent flaps, said flaps having their adjacent edges normally disposed in proximate relation to each other, thereby to define a substantially closed structure, said top being defined of resilient, yieldable material, a downward pressure. on said top area being effective to spend said flaps laterally, to expose said tumblers for removal through said top.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flaps are inclined toward the bottom of said packet to define a generally inverted arch structure, whereby said top portions are rendered resistant to passage of tumblers outwardly therethrough upon accidental inversion thereof. 7

3. A lock tumbler selector comprising a container divided into regularly spaced, open topped cells, each said cell including a packet of lock tumbler pins of predetermined size, transparent resilient covers on each of said packets, said covers including slits defining mouth portions distensible to provide access to the interior of said packets, said covers being normally resiliently maintained in packet sealing position, and a plurality of template members mountable over said cells in predetermined position, each of said template members including a plurality of apertures coinciding with a different pre-determined series of said cells.

4. A selector device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said template members and container include mating locator means for permitting said template to be received on said container in a predetermined orientation with respect thereto.

5..A lock pin selector device comprising an open topped container including a plurality of spaced, open topped cells, a plurality of groups of tumbler container packets supported in said cells in predetermined orientation, the packets of each member of a group containing differently sized tumblers from the tumblers of the other members of said group, a plurality of template members arranged to fit over said open topped container, said 7 template members having cutout windows and blocking portions, the windows of each said template being coordinated to expose the packets of one group only, the

blocking portions thereof covering the remainder of said packets.

*6. A selector device in accordance with claim 5 wherein said template and said container include interfitting means whereby said template can be mounted on said ing efiective temporarily inwardly to deflect said flaps to provide access to the interior of said packets.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 and including a packet retainer cover hingedly connected to said container vand pivotable between covering and exposing positions with respect to said packets.

9. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said flaps are inclined toward the bottom of said packet to define a generally inverted arch structure, whereby said top portions are rendered resistant to passage of tumblers outwardly therethrough upon accidental inversion thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 747,368 12/1903 Boye 206-16 1,998,481 4/1935 Yoder 20663.5 3,061,080 10/1962 Stephen 206-1 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOCK TUMBLER SELECTOR DEVICE COMPRISING A CONTAINER DIVIDED INTO REGULARLY SPACED, OPEN TOPPED CELLS, A PLURALITY OF PACKETS CONTAINING LOCK TUMBLERS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, EACH OF SAID PACKETS BEING DISPOSED IN ONE OF SAID CELLS, SAID PACKETS INCLUDING BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS AND A TRANSPARENT TOP, SAID TOP HAVING INTERSECTING SLITS DEFINING INDEPENDENT FLAPS, SAID FLAPS HAVING THEIR ADJACENT EDGES NORMALLY DISPOSED IN PROXIMATE RELATION TO EACH OTHER, THEREBY TO DEFINE A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED STRUCTURE, SAID TOP BEING DEFINED OF RESILIENT, YIELDABLE MATERIAL, A DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON SAID TOP AREA BEING EFFECTIVE TO SPEND SAID FLAPS LATERALLY, TO EXPOSE SAID TUMBLERS FOR REMOVAL THROUGH SAID TOP. 